Mark Wahlberg wanted to be the one cracking the whip making sure “Fifty Shades of Grey” hit the big screen – but not star in it.
Access Hollywood caught up with the actor/producer at Thursday’s Golden Globe event in West Hollywood, where he discussed how he tried to nab the movie rights to EL James’ bestseller.
“What happened was we had heard about the book really early on and we were in negotiations with the writer and then for some strange reason she thought it was important to have an agent, which she should have, obviously, because she started to realize what she was on to,” he told Access.
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“Then of course, it created a bidding war and everything else and we lost out on an opportunity,” he continued. “Sometimes you get ‘em, sometimes you don’t. It’s just one of those things.”
Had Mark secured the film rights, could he have seen himself in the role of Christian Grey?
“Not that I would’ve wanted to be in it,” he said, explaining he would not want to star in the movie. “An old man like me? They were outraged about the other guy playing the part, what would happen with me?”
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“Fifty Shades of Grey” with Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson opens on February 13, 2015.
-- Jesse Spero
